Field Renovations At Verona School Put Workers In Danger: Feds

VERONA, NJ — Federal officials have hit one of the largest athletic field contractors in the New York-New Jersey area with $197,752 in fines for allegedly leaving its workers in an “unprotected,” 10-foot excavation hole at a suburban New Jersey high school.

During work on a project at Verona High School in Essex County, The Landtek Group Inc. allegedly allowed its employees to enter and work in an unprotected, 10-foot deep excavation that had no protective systems in place as required under federal law, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Monday.

Landtek is the general contractor for site improvements at Verona High School, including the construction of new tennis courts and synthetic turf fields, OSHA officials stated.

OSHA inspectors cited Landtek for potential cave-in hazards because the excavation site lacked proper cave-in protection or safeguards, officials stated.

“Without needed protections in place, an excavation can quickly become a grave as thousands of pounds of soil collapse upon workers below ground,” said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA’s Parsippany Area Office.

“The Landtek Group must re-examine its safety procedures and take all available precautions – including installing shoring or other means – to prevent unexpected movement or collapses of the soil that can lead to disaster,” Hoffman said.

The full OSHA list of citations can be seen here.

During an OSHA inspection at Verona High School at 151 Fairview Avenue on June 22, federal officials found multiple alleged safety violations including:

• A lack of daily inspections
• No means of shoring to prevent collapse
• A broken sanitary sewer pipe tied in to an existing manhole that washed out soil and undermined a wall of the excavation
• Fall hazards
• Potential atmospheric and explosion hazards

According to its website, Lantek has worked with the Mets, the Jets, the Giants, the Red Bulls and the Brooklyn Cyclones, and has constructed projects at West Point and the Merchant Marine Academy, JFK Airport and the Ritz-Carlton Residences on Long Island’s North Shore. It currently works on projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region, including Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

On April 26, the Verona Board of Education approved Landtek as the lowest bidder on a $5.89 million contract for tennis court, synthetic turf field and site improvements.

Landtek also performed recent track and turf renovations at West Essex Regional High School in North Caldwell.

• See related article: Facelift Finished For North Caldwell High School Athletic Track And Turf

Photo: Verona Public Schools

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